I think I was scammed
First, before anything else: this is not your fault, and you are not the only one.
In 2025, more than 200,000 Americans over 60 reported this to the FBI. The real number is far higher, because most people never tell anyone. The people doing this are professionals running it as a full-time job with scripts, call centers, and managers. Being fooled by a professional is not a character flaw.
The shame is the last part of the scam. It's what keeps people quiet long enough for the money to disappear. So let's skip it and go to work.
Money has been recovered before. Sometimes within hours. Start now.
In the first hour
1. Stop all contact
Hang up. Don't answer callbacks. Don't reply to "we can fix this." Do not delete anything — you'll need the texts, emails, and numbers as evidence. Just stop responding.
2. Call your bank — right now, on the number on your card
Say these words: "I am reporting fraud. I need to stop or recall a payment."
Ask specifically for a recall or reversal, and ask them to note the fraud on your account. If you wired money, ask them to contact the receiving bank immediately. The FBI has recovered wired funds by acting fast, and "fast" means hours, not days.
If it was a debit card or credit card, ask for the card to be cancelled and reissued.
3. If you sent gift cards, call the card company immediately
Not the store — the company on the card (Apple, Google Play, Target, eBay, Amazon). Tell them the card was used in a scam. Have the receipt and the card numbers ready. Sometimes the money is still on the card. It's a long shot, and long shots have paid off.
4. If you let anyone into your computer
Disconnect it from the internet — unplug the cable, or turn off Wi-Fi. Don't use it for banking. Get it looked at by someone you chose yourself, not anyone who called you. See I let someone into my computer.
5. Change the password on your email first
Not your bank first — your email first. Whoever controls your email can reset every other password you have. It's the master key. Then change your banking passwords, from a different device if you can.
In the first day
6. Report it
Reporting feels pointless. It isn't. It's how patterns get found, how call centers get raided, and sometimes how money gets frozen.
| Where | How | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| FBI IC3 | ic3.gov | Anything involving the internet, a phone, or a wire. Best chance of a recall. |
| FTC | reportfraud.ftc.gov | All fraud. Feeds law enforcement nationwide. |
| Identity theft | identitytheft.gov | If they got your Social Security number — gives you a recovery plan |
| Local police | Non-emergency line | You need a report number for banks and insurers |
Need help doing it? Two free helplines, staffed by people, no judgment:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-372-8311 — Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. Run by the Department of Justice. They'll walk you through filing.
- AARP Fraud Watch Helpline: 877-908-3360 — Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Free whether or not you're a member. They also run free support groups for people who've been through this.
7. Write down everything while it's fresh
On paper. Names used, phone numbers, what was said, times, amounts, where money went, account numbers you were given. Screenshot the texts before anything gets deleted. Details you think are unimportant are often the ones that connect your case to fifty others.
8. Tell one person
A family member, a friend, your doctor, someone at the front desk. Not so they can fix it — so you're not carrying it alone, and so somebody knows to watch for the follow-up call.
In the first week
9. Freeze your credit
Free, and reversible any time you actually need credit. Do all three:
- Equifax — 888-378-4329
- Experian — 888-397-3742
- TransUnion — 800-916-8800
A freeze stops anyone from opening accounts in your name. It doesn't affect your existing cards or your credit score.
10. Check your credit report
annualcreditreport.com, or 877-322-8228. Free. Look for accounts you didn't open.
11. Watch every statement for three months
Not just for big charges — for small ones. Scammers test a stolen card with a $1.20 charge before they try $1,200.
12. Expect the second scam
This is the most important sentence on this page.
People who have been scammed once get targeted again, on purpose. Your name goes on a list that is bought and sold. Within weeks you may hear from:
- A "law firm" or "recovery service" that can get your money back — for a fee
- A "government investigator" following up on your case
- A "fraud department" needing to verify your details
All of it is the same crew or their customers. Read about recovery scams. No legitimate agency charges a fee to return your money. Ever.
Things that are true and worth hearing
You are not obligated to tell anyone but the people who can help. Report it, protect your accounts, and decide for yourself who else needs to know.
Being fooled is not the same as being foolish. These operations run on psychology developed over years and tested on thousands of people. They work on lawyers, accountants, engineers, and police officers.
Anger is appropriate. So is grief, especially if a relationship you valued turned out to be someone doing a job. That loss is real and it deserves to be treated as real.
If you are having a very hard time with this, that's an ordinary response to being robbed and lied to, and it's worth telling your doctor or someone you trust how you're doing.
If you're helping someone else through this
Lead with "I'm glad you told me." Not "why didn't you call me first." The second sentence ensures nobody tells you next time.
More: For family members.
And one more thing
You are not the same person you were yesterday, and that's not only a loss.
You now know exactly what this looks like from the inside — the pressure, the pacing, the way they keep you from telling anyone. Most people only know it as an abstraction. You know it as a memory, which means you will recognize it instantly, for the rest of your life.
A lot of people are alive to that knowledge only because someone like you told them. When you're ready — and only when you're ready — that story is worth more than any pamphlet.